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Transfer of Power: If you play, will college coaches find you?

Willie Mitchell (23) said he received at least 20 college scholarship offers while playing for a Pine Ridge team that went 1-19 his final two seasons. Mitchell is now a sophomore linebacker at the University of Central Florida.

News-Journal / David Massey

By BRENT WORONOFFSTAFF WRITER

Published: Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 16, 2012 at 7:10 p.m.

Parents of college football prospects — especially borderline prospects — are often concerned their sons won't get noticed.

Facts

Out-of-zone transfers in Volusia

There are two ways students can participate in extracurricular activities at a school they are not zoned for:■ The school district can approve their application to a career academy not offered at their zoned school. Academies are “nationally recognized” programs that “get students ready for post-high school.”■ They can request a variance. A variance is an application to attend a school other than the one students are assigned to for some reason besides academic purposes.Source: Volusia County School District

They'll make phone calls, they'll pay for camps and they'll pay recruiting services. They'll even make sure their budding star plays at the right high school — the one that draws the most college scouts.

All for the opportunity to get their kid a scholarship.

Whether or not all those measures are necessary is a point of contention among area high school and college coaches.

"If a player can play, he'll be found wherever he's at,” Bethune-Cookman University coach Brian Jenkins said. “There are enough bright coaches out there who can read talent. So no matter what program a player is in, he can be found and placed in the right program.''

Mainland coach Scott Wilson, in his third year at the helm of a program that hasn't missed the playoffs since 1993, said he understands why some college prospects would be drawn to certain schools.

“If the kids are getting scholarships and earning things from colleges — that would attract them to want to go to a school where they have had more opportunities,” said Wilson, whose program sent five players to NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools last year.

“Rarely is a kid missed,” Surgener said. “College coaches don't care if you come off a 1-50 team. If you're 6-foot-3, 240 (pounds), can run a 4.4 (40-yard dash) and you can hit and jump, colleges don't care.

“Willie Mitchell played on a 1-19 football team here (in 2009-10) and got a full scholarship to UCF. Case in point. End of story.”

Mitchell, a sophomore linebacker at UCF, said he had at least 20 college scholarship offers but was the only Pine Ridge player recruited by colleges during his final two seasons with the Panthers.

“Never give up,” he said, “because someone's always looking.”

Jenkins said it is true that you will see more college coaches recruiting tradition-rich schools such as Mainland over ones that have struggled in recent years such as Pine Ridge. Standouts at both places will be studied and rated, he said.

He also said parents and players are sending the wrong message when they pull their kids out of neighborhood schools.

“I think it hurts the young man,'' he said. "It sends a bad message to him that if you mess up at this place, you can go to another. If you're not happy at Place A, you can go to Place B. ‘If B doesn't work out, then I'm going to go to Place C.' It sends a real bad message to our youth.”

<p>Parents of college football prospects — especially borderline prospects — are often concerned their sons won't get noticed.</p><p> They'll make phone calls, they'll pay for camps and they'll pay recruiting services. They'll even make sure their budding star plays at the right high school — the one that draws the most college scouts.</p><p> All for the opportunity to get their kid a scholarship.</p><p>Whether or not all those measures are necessary is a point of contention among area high school and college coaches.</p><p>"If a player can play, he'll be found wherever he's at,” Bethune-Cookman University coach Brian Jenkins said. “There are enough bright coaches out there who can read talent. So no matter what program a player is in, he can be found and placed in the right program.''</p><p>Mainland coach Scott Wilson, in his third year at the helm of a program that hasn't missed the playoffs since 1993, said he understands why some college prospects would be drawn to certain schools.</p><p>“If the kids are getting scholarships and earning things from colleges — that would attract them to want to go to a school where they have had more opportunities,” said Wilson, whose program sent five players to NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools last year.</p><p>Pine Ridge coach Scott Surgener, whose team went 1-9 this season, agreed with Jenkins.</p><p>“Rarely is a kid missed,” Surgener said. “College coaches don't care if you come off a 1-50 team. If you're 6-foot-3, 240 (pounds), can run a 4.4 (40-yard dash) and you can hit and jump, colleges don't care.</p><p>“Willie Mitchell played on a 1-19 football team here (in 2009-10) and got a full scholarship to UCF. Case in point. End of story.” </p><p>Mitchell, a sophomore linebacker at UCF, said he had at least 20 college scholarship offers but was the only Pine Ridge player recruited by colleges during his final two seasons with the Panthers.</p><p>“Never give up,” he said, “because someone's always looking.”</p><p> Jenkins said it is true that you will see more college coaches recruiting tradition-rich schools such as Mainland over ones that have struggled in recent years such as Pine Ridge. Standouts at both places will be studied and rated, he said.</p><p> He also said parents and players are sending the wrong message when they pull their kids out of neighborhood schools.</p><p> “I think it hurts the young man,'' he said. "It sends a bad message to him that if you mess up at this place, you can go to another. If you're not happy at Place A, you can go to Place B. 'If B doesn't work out, then I'm going to go to Place C.' It sends a real bad message to our youth.”</p>